‘Hot Wheels’ Report Names ’94 Accord Most Stolen Vehicle

DETROIT (WWJ) – They are called “Hot Wheels,” but these aren’t toys — they’re most stolen vehicles in the United States.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau says the 1994 Honda Accord was the most stolen in 2011 followed by the 1998 Honda Civic. The most stolen vehicle in Michigan last year was the 2000 Dodge Caravan followed by the 2004 Chevy Impala and 1997 full-sized Chevy pickup. (See more below).

“While overall thefts continue to decline, we are seeing a trend toward increases in the thefts of late-model vehicles − ones that are theoretically harder to steal due to sophisticated key code technology,” said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle in a release.

“Today’s vehicle thieves are typically professional criminals who have figured out how to get the key code for a specific vehicle, have a replacement key made, and steal the vehicle within a matter of days,” Wehrle said. “We are aware of nearly 300 thefts that took place in the first three months of this year in which we believe replacement keys using illegally obtained key codes were used to steal the vehicle.

“We are working closely with our member companies, law enforcement, and the vehicle manufacturers to track these illegal key code transactions and stop the thefts or recover the stolen vehicles before they can be resold here or shipped out of the country to be sold overseas.”